Single sign on systems are known where a proxy server may be configured to provide access credentials to servers on behalf of a user using a terminal. The terminal may first connect to the proxy server so that it may transmit authentication information to the proxy server, thereby authenticating the user to the proxy server. Once the user has been authenticated, the proxy server may connect to a server, indicate to the server that the user has been authenticated, and then act as a proxy in a communications session between the terminal and the server.
Such single sign on systems require the proxy server to receive authentication information from the terminal and transmit an indication of authentication of the user to the server using the connections that form the proxied communications session between the terminal and the server. The proxied communications session may thus be required to use a communications protocol known to the proxy server, and communication between the terminal and server via the proxied connection may be restricted to communication using this communications protocol.
The present invention aims to provide an improved system and method of providing access credentials associated with a user of a service to a server hosting the service.